Nancy Portman

Published Friday, November 02, 2001

Nancy Ann Portman was born Dec. 10, 1936, to Lewis Menzo Peck and Neva Irene (Keeler) Peck. She grew up in upstate New York and in New Jersey, graduating from high school in 1954 in Bath, N.Y. She went on to earn a BA with honors from SUNY New Paltz in 1958, studying under such artists as Jules Olitski and William Dailey. She earned an MA with honors from NYU in 1965 and continued post graduate work at the College of New Rochelle, SUNY Purchase and Pace University earning 60 credits beyond her master's degree. She studied education, art education, fine arts and art history.

In 1968, she was awarded a permanent teaching certificate in New York and started her teaching career in Pearl River, N.Y., and went on to teach art at Mohansic Elementary School in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. She taught elementary art for over 25 years, enjoying the children as much as they enjoyed her.

April 1, 1961, Nancy Ann Peck became Nancy Ann Portman when she married Warren Conrad Portman in Bath, N.Y. Their first child, Lorraine Jean, was born in 1965; their second, Errol Lawrence, arrived in 1966. Nancy was the unflagging supportive wife during an early less-than-stellar business and many other successful business enterprises during a 41-year marriage filled with love and adventure.

Nancy Portman moved to Florida from New York in 1991 with her family. She became an active member of the artistic community of St. Augustine. She was a member of the St. Augustine Art Association, the Jacksonville Watercolor Society and the St. Augustine Film Society. Her work has been exhibited in group shows at the St. Augustine Art Association, the Cummer Museum, Crescent Beach Art Gallery, among other places.

Her work has been juried into the Tri-State Art Show and exhibited in Tallahassee. She served the Jacksonville Watercolor Society as fall show chair in 1994; the fall show co-chair in 1995; first vice president and show chairman 1996-97. She has been listed in Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges, Who's Who in American Women and Who's Who in America.

She was a member of Grace United Methodist Church and volunteered as a docent, showing visitors the historic church.

During her life, she visited museums and historic places across America, as well as in England, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Portugal and Egypt. She leaves friends and loved ones all over the world.